Carbonizing apparatus.



No. 723,654. PATENTBD MAR/24,1903;

G. w. GURTISS.

GARBONIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-BEBE]! l.

awuwltoz ago/"96 IVCZm/fss,

' q/Vih/w ow 0 I Gar m rue "cams vzrzns com oToumou wisumamu, n.

No. 723,654. PATBNTED MAR. 24, 1903.

G. W. GURTISS. GARBONIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 6, 1902;

N v w s 10 MODEL.

wa tn eases UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. CUBTISS, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

fCA'RBONI-ZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N6. 723,654, dated -March24, 1903.

Application filed May 5,1902. Serial No. 105,978. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. CURTIss, acitizen of the United States, residing at Peoria, in the county ofPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain-new and usefulImprovements in Carbonizing Apparatus; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable Others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethesam e.

The invention relates to a carbonizing appa-.

ratus.

The apparatus, like those described in my pending applications forpatents,whose serial numbers are respectively 84,273 and 84,274, isespecially designed for use in a process wherein the lines to becarbonized are written or printed upon paper or some other suitablematerial by a colored ink, the carbonization beingaccomplished bysubjecting the paper carrying such lines ofwritten or printed matter tothe action of artificial heat until such lines become carbonized andare-rendered permanent and ineradicable.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whichshall be simple of construction,durable in -use,comparativelyinexpensive of production, and by means of which long strips ofpape'rthatis, strips much longer than the machine-such, for instance, asrailroad-tickets-may be easily and expeditiously heated for the purposeof carbonizing the lines of writing'or printing thereon.

With the above and other objects in view, which will readily appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, said inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction and combination andarrangement of parts, Which will behereinafter fully tudinal verticalsectional view with the pad in lowered position. Fig. 3 is an end view.Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken at right angles to Fig.2.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes a chambered base, which issupported ,upon

,airrises upwardly feet 2 and in which is arranged a heating device 3,which may be in the form of a gasburner 4, as shown, an electricheater,orany other preferred type of heating means. This base constitutes theheating-chamber and has an open bottom 5, above which may be placed anasbestos sheet 6, which is located a sufficient distance above the openbottom to per- [hit of the circulation of air within the chamber. Thesides of the chamber may also be provided with asbestos linings 7.

8 denotes a platen or plate secured at the upper end of the chamber andentirely closing the same and designed to support the paper containingthe lines of writing or printing to be carbonized. This plate isarranged in a horizontal plane at a point above draftopenings 9, formedin the sides and ends of the chamber, whereby the space above saiddraft-openings act-s or serves as an accumulator of heat and retards theescape of the hot air as it rises upwardly in the heating-chamber, andthus causes the plate or platen to become uniformly heated, which wouldnot be the case were the draft-openings arranged in the same plane asthe lower surface of the plate or platen, for in that event the heatedair would tend to escape directly' out through the draft-openings andwould not be diffused uniformly upon the plate. f. 1

By my improved construction the heated and impinges against the lowersurface of the plate, and as it becomes cool descends and escapesthrough the draft- .openings to make room or space for the oncomingheated air.

10 denotes the pad or compressor, adapted to coact with the heatingplate or platen to firmly press against the platen the paper conminingthe lines of writing or printing to be carbonized. This pad consists,preferably, of a block of wood or other suitable material 11, mounted ina metal frame 12,.having substantially the same outline as the block andin the present instance shown as a rectangular frame. The block is heldin saidframe by screws 13 or other fastening devices and has its lowerside or working face provided with a strip of yielding and frictionlessmaterial-such, for instance, as felt-which may be clamped between theedges and ends of the block and the metallic frame in which the block isseated.

The frame at its rear corners is provided with upwardly-projecting ears14, and the link of one set is provided-with a hooked end,

with which is engaged one end of a coil-spring 18, while the oppositeend of the coil-spring is connected to a stud 19, projectinglaterallyfrom the extension 16. The energy of these springs is exerted to elevatethe pad and hold it in the position shown in Fig. 1.

2O denotes an operating-lever, which in the present instance is shown asconsisting of two bars 21, which are secured to or formed integral withone set of links and which have their free ends connected by acrosshandle 22, by means of which the pad may belowered into contactwith the platen.

By referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings it will be observed that theheating-chamber, on its rear side and at its upper end, is formed with aguide rib or flange 23 and that the padframe, on its front side at itslower cdge, is provided with a similar rib or flange 24, whereby longstrips of paper in the act of being drawn through the machine during thecourse of carbonization of the lines of writing or printing thereon willbe guided in their movement and be prevented from pulling out at thesides of the machine. These ribs or flanges also serve as stops to limitthe downward movement of the pad, so that when the block is adjusted inthe frame the pressure to be exerted upon the paper carrying the linesof writing to be carbonized can be regulated axially by .the distancethat the block is lowered in the frame, thus permitting of a strongerpressure being applied to the paper or a weaker pressure, as may bedesired. For instance, it would need a weaker pressure if the paper tobe carbonized were a long strip, such as a railroad-ticket, which had tobe drawn through the machine, as it would not do to press so hard on thepaper as to interfere with its withdrawal through the machine betweenthe pad and heating-plate or platen. On the other hand, if the machineis to he used for carbonizing a bank-draft, which is not required to bedrawn through the machine, then a stronger pressure could be put uponthe pad and be regulated by the depth of insertion of the block withinits frame.

If desired, one end of the machine may be provided with a peep-hole 25for the purpose of permitting of the inspection of the flame of theburner, and this hole may be covered by a pivoted plate 26.

As the operation of this class of machines is well known to thosefamiliar with the state of the art, I do not deem it necessary toentervinto afull explanation, especially in view of the fact that mypending applications for patents, hereinbefore referred to, state indetail the functions and advantages to be attained in the employment ofa machine or apparatus for carbon-i zing lines of writing or printing.in the operation of the present machine the gas is turned on and ignitedat the burner, and in a short space of time the platen or plate willbecome heated to the desired degree for the purpose of carbonizing thelines of writing upon a piece of paper. The writing to be carbonized isplaced upon the plate and the operating-lever is depressed to force thepaper containing the lines of writing firmly and uniformly upon thesurface of the platen, which being uniformly heated will uniformlycarbonize the lines of writingor printing, and when so carbonized theoperating-lever is released and the platen, under the action of thesprings, is elevated or returned to its normal position, thus permittingof the withdrawal of the piece of paper containing the lines of writing.If, on the other hand, the lines of writing or printing to be carbonizedare upon a long strip of paper-such, for instance, as a longrailroadticket-the long strip of paper is first inserted and theoperating-lever depressed until the lines of writing covered by theplaten are carbonized, when, without releasing the lever, the strip ofpaper is drawn through the apparatus slowly between the plate or platenand the pad until all of the lines of writing have been carbonized,whereupon the paper has been withdrawn from the apparatus and the levermay be then released.

I will therefore briefly state that From the foregoing description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought thatthe construction, mode of operation, and advantages of my improvedcarbonizing apparatus will be readily apparent Withoutrequiring a moreextended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carbonizing apparatus, the combination with the heating-chamberand a heating-plate or platen secured to the upper end thereof, saidheating-chamber having an airinlet at its lower end and air Vents oropenings at its upper end surrounding the sides of said chamber andarranged in a plane below the platen or heating-plate for a purposesubstantially as herein described; of a pad adapted to coact with theplate or platen to press the paper bearingthe lines of writing orprinting to be carbonized firmly and uniformly against the plate orplaten which has become uniformly heated on account of the uniformdifiusion of heated air thereupon by reason of having the air outlets orvents arranged in a planebelow the lower surface of theplate or platen,substantially as described.

2. In a carbonizing apparatus, the combination with the heating-chamberand its heating-plate or platen, brackets secured to saidheating-chamber and having extensions, a pad, parallel links connectedto two of the corners of the pad and to said brackets, springsconnecting two of the links to the extensions and exerting their energyto elevate and hold in elevated position with respect to theheating-chamber, the pad, and a lever for depressing the pad upon theplate or platen, substantially as specified.

the lines of writing through and between the pad and plate or platen,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. OURTISS.

Witnesses:

W. M. HECKLER, H. F. SHooK.

